change a flight?
 

Ughhh.
bought a cheap fight from Houston to Amsterdam... one where they reveal the airline and exact details after you've paid.
Great price and it's a direct flight on the way there. However, the way back has a 20 hour layover in Toronto which I'd rather avoid.
Can I just buy another ticket for that last leg, get my bags in toronto and check in for the new flight and forget about the one that comes with the original ticket?

Re: change a flight?
 

If you have checked bags, won't they be checked all the way through to Houstoun? If only carry-on, i don't see why you can't do what you propose

Re: change a flight?
 

I'm going to have a checked bag. Can I request that I collect them in Toronto since the layover is so long?

Re: change a flight?
 

At this point, you have gone beyond my rather limited airline procedures knowledge. I would phone the airline, explain you have a long layover and ask if it would be possible to just check the bags to Toronto. Good luck!

Re: change a flight?
 

I had to re-tag all the time at work as passengers would get to Vancouver and have a new ticket for an earlier connecting flight they bought because their original ticket was like yours, a long long connection time.

something like this:

If the airline from start to finish is the same, you might be able to fix it all at the point of origin or even in advance over the phone.

If there are multiple airlines involved might be more complicated, see if the airline your booked on now from Toronto to US has an earlier flight, book earlier flight on the same airline as your 20 hour connection.

Arrive in Toronto, tell airline you bought a new ticket as you didn't want to wait 20 hours, they will re-tag the bag for the new flight.

It's doable, just not something you can guarantee can be done in advance/over the phone and might need to do it while in motion and some risk you bag might get delayed along the way.

First step is to call the origin airline and inquire, they will be the ones checking the bag initially and would be easiest to deal with before you even depart the origin.

We had passengers all the time come in from Asia, have a 20 hour connection, find out they have multiple earlier options, they would go online buy a new ticket, go to airline show new ticket, then we have to go look for bag, and put a new tag on it, happened almost daily, wasn't something unusual.

Re: change a flight?
 

You could just head into Toronto and see the sights? Or meet up with Jerseygirl for dinner?

https://youtu.be/HPyl2tOaKxM

Re: change a flight?
 

That is what I would do, with a 20 hour connection I cannot imagine there would be an issue clearing CBSA and being admitted into Canada. Good chance with a 20 hour connection they would not let one hang out in the airport without clearing CBSA .

at least in Vancouver 20 hour connection the only option is to clear Canada Customs and enter Canada since the US departure terminal is only open 16 or so hours per day here, closed from 2030 to 0430 and no passengers allowed to spend the night in US departures.

Re: change a flight?
 

I just called air canada and they said that I would be picking up my bags anyway in Toronto and could leave the airport if I wished but also that I could stay in the airport overnight.
I'm going to look into buying lounge access and also an earlier flight...

Re: change a flight?
 

I would buy the new ticket and then when checking in, explain at the luggage drop off area that you will not be taking the original connecting flight but the new flight and give them the details so that the luggage can be tagged appropriately at the original point of departure.

Remember you don't have to check in online but can do so at the airport which in this case makes it a lot easier.

Re: change a flight?
 

Yeah, Pearson is a hub with US Customs. However, when we flew Air Maple Syrup, our bags were X-rayed and we didn't handle them at all until we arrived in Atlanta.They simply showed us them on a monitor.

I'm sure if I'd had something dangerous like Bovril in them, they would have pulled me for secondary!

Re: change a flight?
 

Things have changed since I flew from Vancouver and had a layover in Toronto for my connecting flight to New York 10 years ago. We didn't handle our luggage but didn't see our luggage on a monitor. I feel left out.

Re: change a flight?
 

I was going to suggest something similar...if I am around. When are you in Toronto pf?

Re: change a flight?
 

Assuming you are a US Citizen then no eTA is required. If you are a LPR of the US then eTA is required even for in transit passengers.

Re: change a flight?
 

Don't tell the airline that you won't be taking the next flight, that could end badly.
With a 20 hr layover it would be reasonable to ask them to short check your bag to Toronto as you plan to go to a hotel and rest freshen up.

Re: change a flight?